Terms and Conditions
CarsIreland.ie – Website, Car Check and Private Portal Terms & Conditions
Contents
General
Website Conditions of Use
Private Portal
Ad Creation and Duration
Bundles and Newspaper Ads
Discount Codes
Email Communications (“Email Comms”)
Vehicle Eligibility – Category A/B Write-Offs
Information for Buyers – Vehicle History and Write-Offs
Disclaimer
Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Rights
Linked Sites
Charges and Right of Withdrawal for Consumers
Limitation of Liability
Indemnification
Use of Your Personal Data – Car Check / Cartell
Your Use of the Information
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
Digital Services Act (DSA) Information and Notice & Action Mechanism
Use of Your Personal Data – Private Portal and Advertising
Account Suspension, Termination and Content Moderation
1. General
These T&Cs cover three areas: (1) Website use, (2) Car Check, and (3) Private Portal and Private Ads.
CarsIreland.ie (“CarsIreland,” “we,” “us,” “our”) is a subsidiary of Motion Group (part of Mediahuis Ireland). These Terms & Conditions apply when you access or use www.carsireland.ie (the “Website”), use our car history check services (“Car Check”), or use our Private Portal to create or manage advertisements.
By accessing or using the Website or related services (including SMS), you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions as updated from time to time. If you do not agree, you must stop using the Website and related services.
We may amend these Terms & Conditions at any time by updating them on the Website. Where we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you (for example by a notice on the Website and/or by email, where appropriate). Your continued use after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms & Conditions.
1.1 Definitions
“we” / “us” / “our” – CarsIreland.ie and its partners in the supply of used vehicle information, including Cartell (a registered business name).
“you” / “your” – the customer or user who submits an Enquiry, uses the Website, Private Portal, or other services, and receives Information.
“Car Check” – any car history, finance, write-off, mileage or related vehicle check service that we or Cartell provide via the Website, SMS or other channels.
“Enquiry” – a CarsIreland.ie / Cartell enquiry submitted online via the Website, by phone or by SMS.
“Information” – information we supply in response to an Enquiry (for example, vehicle data from our electronic database).
“Contract” – the contract between you and us for the supply of Information and related services, subject to these Terms & Conditions.
“Website” – the CarsIreland.ie website.
“Private Portal” – the portal through which a potential buyer or private seller can access their CarsIreland account and manage ads via desktop and mobile web (not currently supported on the CarsIreland mobile app).
“User authentication” – the process we use to verify user identity for the Private Portal (currently via Amazon Cognito and/or social login).
“Email Comms” – email communications we send to you as a prospective buyer or private seller using a CarsIreland account.
“Content” – any text, data, images, photographs, graphics, video, audio, advertisements, vehicle descriptions, or other material on or through the Website.
“Materials” – the Content and any other reports, documents or materials supplied or made available to you on or through the Website.
1.2 Formation of Contract
When you submit an Enquiry, you make an offer to enter into a Contract with us for the provision of Information subject to these Terms & Conditions. A contract is formed only when we provide Information to you (for example by email, via the Website, download or SMS). We may decline to enter into a contract for any reason.
The Contract and all Information are subject exclusively to these Terms & Conditions.
You are responsible for submitting complete and accurate details when making an Enquiry (online, by phone or by SMS) and for informing us if any Information we provide appears incorrect or incomplete.
1.3 Eligibility and Age Requirements
If you are under 18, you may browse the Website with parental consent, but you may not create an account, enter a contract, place an ad, or purchase paid services (including Car Check).
We reserve the right to refuse, restrict, or terminate access to the Website or Private Portal where we believe these eligibility requirements are not met.
If you use the Website or our services as a consumer (for purposes wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, or profession), you may have additional rights under Irish and EU consumer law. These Terms & Conditions do not affect any such mandatory rights.
2. Website Conditions of Use
Each time you access the Website, you are deemed to have read, understood and accepted these Terms & Conditions.
If you have any questions about these Terms & Conditions, please contact us using the details on the Website.
2.1 Status as an Online Platform
CarsIreland.ie operates an online platform and “information society service” within the meaning of applicable EU and Irish law. Where we host, store or make available information provided by third parties (for example, advertisements, vehicle descriptions, and other user-generated content), we act as an intermediary and are not under a general obligation to monitor such information or actively seek facts indicating illegal activity.
This does not affect:
any checks or reviews we may choose to carry out; or
any legal obligations to comply with court orders or lawful requests from public authorities.
2.2 Relationship Between Buyers, Sellers, and CarsIreland
The Website and Private Portal facilitate contact between buyers and sellers of vehicles and related products and services. Unless expressly stated otherwise in a separate written agreement, CarsIreland:
is not a party to any contract for the sale or purchase of a vehicle or other goods or services advertised on the Website;
does not own or take possession of vehicles advertised on the Website; and
does not act as agent, broker or guarantor for any buyer or seller.
Any contract for sale or purchase is concluded directly between the relevant buyer and seller, on terms agreed between them, and not on or via the Website. You are solely responsible for:
verifying the identity and legitimacy of other users;
verifying vehicle ownership, condition, mileage, history, and any finance or write-off status; and
complying with all applicable legal and regulatory obligations (including, where relevant, consumer protection, tax, insurance, and registration requirements).
We do not guarantee the quality, safety, legality or description of any vehicles or other items advertised on the Website, and we are not responsible for any disputes between buyers and sellers. We provide the platform and Car Check services, but we are not a party to any vehicle sale, and you must carry out your own checks before buying or selling.
2.3 Acceptable Use and Prohibited Activities
You agree to use the Website, Private Portal, and related services only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms & Conditions. In particular, you must not:
Unlawful or harmful use
use the Website for any unlawful purpose or in a way that breaches any applicable law, regulation, or code of practice;
post, upload, or transmit any content that is illegal, defamatory, libellous, threatening, abusive, harassing, obscene, discriminatory, hateful, invasive of another’s privacy, or otherwise objectionable.
Infringement of rights
post or use any content that infringes or may infringe the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any person;
misrepresent your identity or your affiliation with any person or organisation or falsely represent that you are a private seller when acting as a trader (or vice versa).
Misleading or abusive advertising
place ads that are false, misleading, deceptive, or incomplete, including misleading pricing or inaccurate description of vehicle condition, mileage, or history;
use excessive, irrelevant, or misleading keywords or brand names to manipulate search results;
advertise goods or services that are prohibited by law or by any policies or guidelines we publish on the Website from time to time.
Spam and unauthorised communications
send unsolicited or bulk messages (spam) to other users;
harvest or collect email addresses or other contact details for the purpose of sending unsolicited communications.
Technical misuse and security
attempt to gain unauthorised access to any part of the Website, Private Portal, our systems, or the accounts of other users;
test, scan, probe or circumvent any security or authentication measures;
use any robot, spider, scraper, automated tool, or other means to access the Website for any purpose without our express written permission (except where such use is permitted by law and cannot be contractually restricted);
interfere with or disrupt the operation of the Website or any servers or networks connected to it.
Other restrictions
use the Website in a manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair our systems or the experience of other users;
use the Website in breach of any additional policies, house rules or category-specific rules published by us from time to time and incorporated into these Terms & Conditions by reference.
We may remove, edit, or restrict access to any content or ad, or suspend or terminate any account, where we believe that these acceptable use provisions have been breached or where we are required to do so by law (see also Section 21 below).
3. Private Portal
3.1 Overview
The Private Portal allows:
Buyers – to log in via desktop or mobile web (my.carsireland.ie) and manage saved ads.
Private sellers – to log in to manage one or more ads and track saved ads where they act as buyer and/or seller.
3.2 User Authentication
To protect your account, you must complete user authentication:
Email registration – you must activate your account using the link sent to the email address provided.
Social login – you may log in using supported providers (currently Google or Facebook).
You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for all activity on your account. If you believe your account has been compromised, you should notify us promptly using the contact details on the Website.
3.3 Login for Prospective Buyers
If you click the heart icon on an ad or results page:
existing users can log in using their email and password;
new users can choose social login (Google/Facebook) or select “Register” to create an account.
4. Ad Creation and Duration
When creating an ad, you may choose:
an online-only plan; or
a plan that includes online and newspaper listing.
Online ads normally remain live for up to 12 months or until your car is sold, whichever is sooner. After 12 months, we may contact you to confirm if you still need the ad. If you do, we will normally renew it free of charge for a further 12-month period.
We may remove or suspend ads that have not been updated or actively managed for over 12 months. Where an ad is removed solely due to inactivity, no refund or credit will usually be due. This is to keep listings up to date for buyers.
4.1 Refunds Where Ads Are Removed for Other Reasons
If we remove, suspend or unpublish an ad:
due to your breach of these Terms & Conditions;
because the ad or any related content is illegal or infringes third-party rights; or
to comply with legal or regulatory requirements or a request from a competent authority,
In these circumstances, any fees already paid will not be refundable. Any replacement advertising credit will be at our discretion, acting reasonably.
5. Bundles and Newspaper Ads
If you choose:
the Standard (online-only) bundle – your ad appears on CarsIreland.ie only.
a Premium, Premium Plus or Platinum bundle – your ad appears both online and in the relevant newspaper(s).
The location and number of newspaper ad spots will be clearly shown during the ad creation process and in your confirmation email.
Your ad will only be queued for inclusion in the relevant newspaper(s) once all required details (including VIN) are supplied and payment is received. If you pay first and provide your VIN later, we will email you with the dates your ad is scheduled to be published, based on the next available slots.
Nothing in this section is intended to exclude or limit any rights you may have under Irish or EU consumer law (including the Irish Consumer Rights Act 2022) where we provide digital content or services to you as a consumer.
6. Discount Codes
From time to time, CarsIreland may offer discount codes for certain services. Each code will have specific conditions (for example, validity period, eligible services, and other restrictions).
To apply a code, you must enter it in the promo code box at checkout before payment. If you do not enter the code at that stage, the discount cannot be applied to that order.
7. Email Communications (“Email Comms”)
By accepting these Terms & Conditions, you agree that we may contact you by email in relation to your use of our services, including:
Private seller engagement – for example, if you start but do not finish creating an ad, if payment is outstanding, or if your ad is on hold pending log-book verification.
Service updates – where we introduce new features or capabilities that may be relevant to you as a buyer or private seller (for example, new search / filter options or selling tools).
You can manage your email preferences in your account settings or as indicated in our emails, subject to our legal obligations.
Some Email Comms are necessary service communications (for example about your ad, account, or security) and cannot be opted out of while you use the relevant service. Marketing emails will only be sent where permitted by law and you can withdraw your consent or object at any time.
8. Vehicle Eligibility – Category A/B Write-Offs
We may use information from insurers and other third-party data providers to identify vehicles recorded as Category A or Category B write-offs (“Category A/B Vehicles”).
Where a vehicle is recorded as a Category A/B Vehicle, we may at any time:
refuse to publish an ad for that vehicle;
suspend, unpublish or remove any existing ad for that vehicle; and
block re-publication of that vehicle on CarsIreland.ie or on dealer / white-label sites we operate or host.
If data for a vehicle is incomplete or not yet available, we may allow an ad to be published. If we later receive information that it is a Category A/B Vehicle, we may then suspend, unpublish or remove the ad.
If you believe a vehicle has been incorrectly identified as a Category A/B Vehicle, you may contact our Customer Support team with supporting evidence. If we are satisfied that the vehicle is not a Category A/B Vehicle, we may lift any restrictions and may, at our discretion, reinstate the ad and/or issue replacement advertising credit.
You acknowledge that we rely in good faith on information from third parties and, provided we act reasonably and in good faith, we will not be liable for loss or damage arising from our decision to refuse, suspend, unpublish, remove or block an ad for a vehicle we reasonably believe to be a Category A/B Vehicle.
9. Information for Buyers – Vehicle History and Write-Offs
We use reasonable efforts, including checks against data from insurers and other providers, to prevent Category A/B Vehicles from being advertised on CarsIreland.ie or on dealer / white-label sites we operate or host. We do not knowingly permit ads for such vehicles.
However, we cannot guarantee that:
all information provided by sellers or third-party providers is accurate, complete, or up to date; or
every Category A/B Vehicle will always be identified before an ad goes live (for example, where registration details are missing, data is delayed, or third-party systems contain errors).
You acknowledge that:
ads and vehicle descriptions are provided by sellers and/or third parties and are not independently verified by us; and
as explained in Section 2.2, you remain responsible for carrying out your own checks and inspections (including independent history, finance, or write-off checks) before purchasing a vehicle.
If we become aware that an advertised vehicle is recorded as a Category A/B Vehicle, we will act in line with our Category A/B Vehicle policy, which may include removing the ad.
10. Disclaimer
The Website and related services are provided “as is.” To the extent permitted by law, we do not warrant that the Website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components.
Except as set out in any specific contractual terms for our services and to the extent permitted by law, CarsIreland.ie / Cartell gives no warranty or representation (express or implied) as to the accuracy, completeness, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or non-infringement of any information, Materials, or graphics on the Website. Your use of the Website is at your own risk.
Nothing in this Section affects your statutory rights as a consumer. See Section 14.3 for more detail on consumer rights and limitations of liability.
11. Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Rights
Except where expressly acknowledged on the Website, the contents of the Website, CarsIreland.ie reports and SMS services are © CarsIreland.ie and/or Cartell, which own or license all intellectual property rights in them.
All CarsIreland.ie trademarks, names and logos are proprietary to CarsIreland.ie or its associated companies. Third-party marks are owned or licensed by the relevant third parties.
You may not copy, reproduce, redistribute, download, republish, transmit, display, adapt, alter, create derivative works from, or otherwise extract or re-utilise any material on this Website without our express permission, except as otherwise permitted by these Terms & Conditions or applicable law.
11.1 User Content Licence
By submitting, uploading, or posting any Content (including images, descriptions, and other materials) to the Website or Private Portal, you:
grant to CarsIreland, its group companies and service providers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, transferable, and sublicensable licence to use, host, store, reproduce, modify (for formatting and technical purposes), adapt, publish, translate, distribute, display, and make available such Content in connection with:
operating and improving the Website, the Private Portal, and our related services (including displaying and syndicating your ads); and
promoting the Website, the Private Portal, and our related services.
warrant that you have all necessary rights, licences, consents, and permissions to grant this licence and that the Content does not infringe any third-party rights or applicable laws.
This licence continues for as long as your Content is available on our systems and for a reasonable period afterwards to allow us to remove copies from backups and caches. We will not use your Content in new marketing or promotional materials after you remove it from the Website, save where such use cannot reasonably be withdrawn (for example, printed materials already distributed).
12. Linked Sites
The Website may contain links to third-party sites. We do not control and are not responsible for the content of any linked site, nor do we endorse any material or statements therein. You may not create a link to the CarsIreland.ie Website from another website without our express written permission.
13. Charges and Right of Withdrawal for Consumers
13.1 Charges
You agree to pay our charges for Information and services at the rates in force from time to time, using any payment methods we accept (as shown on the Website) before we supply the Information.
13.2 Right of Withdrawal for Consumers
If you are a consumer and you purchase a paid service online, you may have a statutory right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
Some of our services are delivered immediately and in full shortly after purchase (for example, Car Check reports and other one-off digital services). At the point of purchase of such services, we will ask you to:
request that we begin providing the service immediately; and
acknowledge that once the service has been fully performed (for example, once your Car Check report has been generated and made available), you will lose your right of withdrawal.
For advertising services that run over a period of time (for example, private ads on the Website or bundles including newspaper listings), your right of withdrawal will normally apply for 14 days from the date of purchase, unless you have expressly requested that we begin providing the service during the withdrawal period and:
the service has been fully performed (in which case you may lose your right of withdrawal), or
the service has been partially performed (in which case we may deduct a proportionate amount for the services already provided).
Any additional refund or credit policies that apply to specific products or bundles will be explained during the order process and form part of these Terms & Conditions.
14. Limitation of Liability
14.1 Hosting of Third-Party Content
The Website includes information provided by third parties (including advertisers, sellers, data providers, and other users). Where this information is stored or hosted at their request, our responsibility and liability are limited in accordance with EU and Irish law (including the Digital Services Act), as further described in Section 19.
We are not liable for information stored at the request of a third party where:
we do not have actual knowledge of illegal activity or information, and are not aware of facts from which such illegality is apparent; or
upon obtaining such knowledge or awareness, we act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the information.
14.2 General Limitation and Force Majeure
To the fullest extent permitted by law and subject to Section 14.3, CarsIreland.ie / Cartell will not be liable for any special, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages, or for losses such as loss of profit, revenue, business, data or use, arising out of or related to the Website, Content or Materials.
We are not responsible for any loss, injury, inconvenience or expense caused by events beyond our reasonable control (“Force Majeure”), including government action or restraint, war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, strikes, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, flood, delays, weather conditions or the threat of any of these.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or limits our liability for:
death or personal injury caused by our negligence;
fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or
any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable Irish or EU law.
In short: we are not responsible for losses we could not control or foresee, except where the law says we cannot limit our liability.
14.3 Consumer Rights
If you are a consumer, nothing in these Terms & Conditions is intended to exclude or limit any statutory rights which you may have under Irish or EU consumer law that cannot be excluded or limited by contract.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions limits your rights to remedies under applicable consumer law, including the Irish Consumer Rights Act 2022, where we fail to provide digital content or services in conformity with the contract.
15. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold CarsIreland.ie / Cartell, its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, and employees harmless from any claims, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of:
your unlawful use of the Website, Content or Materials;
your intentional or negligent breach of these Terms & Conditions; or
your infringement (or alleged infringement) of any third-party intellectual property or other rights.
This indemnity does not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable consumer law.
16. Use of Your Personal Data – Car Check / Cartell
We obtain and hold vehicle and associated data from multiple sources (including finance companies, insurers, and vehicle owners). This data is used to protect those making searches and the owners of vehicles on the Cartell database.
You agree that we may disclose relevant information about you (including your name, address, and details of your use of our services) where this is necessary and proportionate for the purposes of preventing, detecting or investigating crime, protecting the rights or property of others, or assisting in the recovery of stolen vehicles, and where permitted by data protection law. This may include disclosure to:
a verified owner of a vehicle (or their authorised representative) about which you have made an Enquiry, where we have taken reasonable steps to verify their identity and ownership claim; and
the police or other law enforcement or competent authorities.
Further information about how we process your personal data is set out in our Privacy Policy.
Any such disclosures will be made in accordance with applicable data protection law and as described in our Privacy Policy.
17. Your Use of the Information
Information supplied in response to an Enquiry is for your personal use only. You must not sell, supply or disclose the Information to any third party, except that you may provide a printed copy, free of charge, to a potential purchaser or seller of the relevant vehicle in the course of negotiating its sale or purchase, provided the Information remains in the form supplied by us and is not altered.
18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms & Conditions, the Website and any Contract between you and us are governed by the laws of the Republic of Ireland.
If you are a business user, you agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts in relation to any dispute arising out of or in connection with the Website, its contents, or these Terms & Conditions.
If you are a consumer resident in the EU, this clause does not affect any rights you may have under EU law to bring proceedings in your country of residence, and you may benefit from mandatory provisions of the law of that country.
19. Digital Services Act (DSA) Information
CarsIreland confirms that, for the purposes of Article 24(2) of the Digital Services Act, it has an average of fewer than 45 million monthly active recipients. The average is calculated over the previous six-month period and is used solely for DSA compliance.
We may take appropriate action, including restricting or suspending access to the Website, where a user repeatedly submits manifestly unfounded or abusive notices.
If you wish to contact us about the Digital Services Act or raise a complaint, you may email [email protected] or use our secure complaint-handling system. Our latest DSA Transparency Report is available on the Website.
19.1 Notice and Action Mechanism
If you believe information or content on the Website is illegal or infringes your rights, you may notify us using the contact details above or any notice mechanism we provide on the Website.
To help us assess your notice, please include:
a clear description of the content and its location on the Website (for example, URL or advertisement ID);
the reasons you consider the content illegal or infringing, including any relevant legal provisions where possible; and
your name and contact details.
If the information you provide is incomplete, we may contact you to request further details so that we can assess your notice properly.
When we obtain actual knowledge or awareness of illegal content, we will act expeditiously to remove or disable access to it, in line with our obligations under the Digital Services Act and any applicable laws. Where required by law, we will inform you of our decision and provide information on available redress or complaint mechanisms.
20. Use of Your Personal Data – Private Portal and Advertising
Your data will be used primarily to:
enhance your search experience as a prospective buyer; and
support your sales experience as a private seller once you register for a CarsIreland account.
You may request deletion of your data at any time by emailing [email protected]. We will then remove your ad and personal details from our systems, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain data.
Further information about our data processing is set out in our Privacy Policy.
21. Account Suspension, Termination and Content Moderation
We reserve the right, at any time and without liability, to do any of the following, in each case acting reasonably and in accordance with applicable law (including the Digital Services Act):
suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to the Website, Private Portal, or any account;
remove, suspend, unpublish or otherwise restrict access to any ad or Content you have submitted;
apply technical or other measures to prevent or restrict access to the Website or to specific features or Content.
We may take such action in circumstances including (without limitation) where:
we believe that you have breached these Terms & Conditions or any applicable law or policy;
we receive a notice or complaint indicating that Content is illegal or infringes third-party rights;
we are required to do so by a court order, regulator, or other competent authority; or
it is necessary to protect the security, integrity or proper functioning of the Website or the rights, property, or safety of CarsIreland, our users or the public.
Repeated or serious breaches of these Terms & Conditions, or repeated posting of illegal content, may result in permanent suspension or termination of your account and/or a ban on future use of the Website.
If you wish to contest a moderation or suspension decision, you can contact us using the details on the Website or, where available, through our complaint-handling or Digital Services Act appeal mechanisms.
We will act reasonably when deciding whether to suspend, restrict or terminate access or to remove or restrict access to Content. Where required by law, we will notify you of our decision, provide a short statement of reasons, and explain how you can contest the decision, lodge a complaint, or use any available out-of-court dispute settlement mechanism.
These Terms & Conditions, together with our Privacy Policy and any product-specific terms, form the entire agreement between you and us in relation to the Website and relevant services.
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